Team Ethereal: June Tasks
by Flipper Boid Skua
Summary: Aura and Hallow go to the desert town of Gambitville, filled to the brim with criminals. The Spiritomb mayor has just awoken from hibernation and is changing the way of things, with the help of our team. Will things go smoothly for our heroes, or will they meet their dooms when they encounter an unexpected foe, whom has his murderous eyes firmly set on Hallow. R&R please!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, just Aura and Hallow.

This is the mission my Rescue team had to complete for the month of June. It's about four chapters in total and is one of my important story Arcs concerning the team. I hope any who reads this enjoys it!

* * *

Prologue

The door began to glow the faintest hint of purple as it slowly slinked open. Peering in carefully, Hallow scanned the living room for signs of his partner. There was nobody. Floating inside silently, he moved deeper into the house, casting a glance into Aura's room. Nobody. Odd. Flying to the kitchen, he felt himself relax as he spotted the Abra on the counter… sleeping in the sink… upside-down. About five Oran Berry Mochi was floating around her in happy little circles and every once in a while, one would approach her mouth for a little nibble before resuming its dance with its fellow treats.

Going up to his friend, he wondered how long she's been like this and he looked about automatically for his poking stick. It should still be around here somewhere-ah! He took the stick in his ghostly telekinetic hold and wasted no time in poking his friend gently. Aura gave a small groan and half-heartedly swatted at the source of the disturbance. Pausing, Hallow waited for a few seconds before resuming the poke. This time, the Abra gave it more attention and she again swatted at the stick, her paws continuing to swipe the air when the stick pulled away.

One more poke and she finally opened an eye a little before closing it again.

"Ah, so you're awake." Hallow muttered, putting the stick away. He would be smiling a bit if he could, and Aura rubbed her eyes without even bothering to right herself.

"I am now," She yawned widely, a mochi taking the opportunity to insert itself into that gaping maw, eager to get eaten. She chewed for a moment before speaking again, her voice a bit muffled. "Anything new on the Task Board?"

Hallow was silent for a moment. "No." The answer was blunt and curt and Aura hesitated, tilting her upside-down face.

"For realsies?"

Hallow didn't answer as he turned away and started to leave, but he didn't go far before Aura sent out her Mochi Army to surround him.

"Hallow, I can't read minds, but I know when you're lying. What's up with the Task Board?" she asked with a hint of firmness.

"Nothing," he stated abruptly and Aura opened her eyes wide at the Shedinja's mood. It was clear he didn't want to discuss this subject and his defensiveness was a bit odd. In an effort to cheer him up and perhaps lower his defenses, she got a mochi to playfully press against his muzzle where his mouth used to be, the Abra grinning.

"Hallow, why you be angry?" she chirped in a sing-song voice. The husk did nothing for a while, allowing the small piece of food to play before pulling away.

"I'm not angry, I…" He paused, turning around to face his Psychic companion. "I just don't want to do the Tasks."

"Why?" Aura stated in confusion.

Hallow would sigh if he could, speaking softly. "It's too dangerous. If we go, I'm worried that you'd-"

"Get hurt?" Aura interrupted in an attempt to fill in the blanks and reassure her companion. "It's alright. Getting hurt is part of the job!" She was chuckling, trying to lighten the mood. But it didn't work as the Shed Pokemon shook his body from side-to-side in his equivalent gesture of shaking his head.

"Get _killed_, Aura," he told her. "The Tasks are in Gambitville, a very dangerous place filled to the brim with criminals. A small Abra like you, I…" He cut himself off, thinking carefully on how to word this without offending his friend. "Take no offense, but you're not exactly… fit for this. If a fight breaks out, you won't stand a chance."

"Then, we'll make sure there is no fight…" Aura muttered as she righted herself, jumping off the counter. She looked to her friend, ears low. "Can you at least tell me what the Tasks are?"

There was silence for a while, the Shedinja eventually coming to the conclusion that there's no harm in informing her. "Well, first, we have to take an interview with someone named Jury."

"That doesn't sound bad," Aura stated gently.

"No," Hallow agreed before continuing. "He wants us to build some…gallows," –At this, Aura visibly stiffened- "Then, he wants us to post some flyers and convince some criminals to turn over a new leaf. Build a lot of bricks for a wall. Rescue a Sandshrew that fell down a well and… recover his dead body if needed. Enforce a new curfew and…" He paused, knowing this was the most dangerous one. "And remind the residents of Jury's position of power. Resistance is expected with this one, and it's the one worrying me the most."

Silence hung in the air and Aura stared at the floor, finding one of the wooden boards very interesting. Sorting through the Tasks, she took a deep breath and looked to Hallow. "How about we just do the harmless ones, if that'll make you feel better… Like the Sandshrew one or the brick stuff…" She fiddled with her paws. "And we could at least _try_ the other ones."

She saw Hallow hesitate and she was quick to add her primary reassurance. "If we find ourselves on the losing end of a fight, we Teleport! That _is_ the way of the Abra!"

"And what if that's not an option?" Hallow asked pointedly. "Remember the Drifloon? We both ended up fainting and we were incredibly lucky the Drifleet decided not to end us. That might not be the case in Gambitville."

Aura felt her mind snag, knowing the Shedinja was right. Slumping, she ran over her thoughts again before giving an inch. "Okay, then we'll stay exclusively on the harmless ones. Would that be good?"

Hallow looked over the Abra, considering her compromise carefully. But he didn't see anything wrong with the harmless Tasks (no matter how hard he tried), and he nodded reluctantly in consent. Aura felt a smile grow on her face, walking up and giving him a hug. "It'll be alright." She pulled away, heading for the door. "Now show me a good, high-quality picture of this Gambitopia place, so we can Teleport there!"

"Gambitville," Hallow corrected.

"That too!"

* * *

"Who is this Jury guy anyway?" Aura asked as they sat outside the door, waiting for their client to call them into his office. She could hear a debate happening on the other side of the entrance, though it seemed rather one-sided as she couldn't make out a responding voice… nor did she see anyone enter the room in the first place…

"The mayor, I believe." Hallow answered. "According to the Task Board, he just awoken from hibernation and-" He was about to add more when the muffled debate came to an abrupt end and the voice called out.

"Enter…"

Casting a glance at Hallow, Aura took a deep breath as she pushed herself off her chair, the Shedinja following her as she approached the door. With the slightest hint of hesitation, she took hold of the knob, twisted it, and peeked inside slowly. Almost instantly, her eyes widened and she screamed, slamming the door shut in a panic.

Hallow was plenty startled by this reaction, and he didn't know how to react as he watched Aura shudder in pure fear, whimpering. She looked as if she was on the verge of breaking down and running off. Soothingly pressing against her side in a hug, Hallow tried to calm her shivering before heading for the door himself. Opening it, he peered inside and immediately understood.

A Spiritomb was staring back at him and it came as a shock how different this one looked from normal. Instead of purple, it was a violent red with glowing yellow eyes and a massive, jagged grin of the same color. He's never seen a variation like this on a Spiritomb, even on a Shiny.

"Enter." His voice sounded downright demonic, with multiple pitches sounding at once, as if from several different entities. Given the nature of this species, it wouldn't be surprising if that was the case.

Looking back to Aura, he pulled away from the door to place himself behind her, pushing her forward gently. The Abra shook her head fervently, wanting to verbally protest, but unable to get her voice to work. Her resistance didn't matter anyway as the Shedinja succeeded in getting her into the office, closing the door much to Aura's discontent. She made an attempt to make a run for it, but her companion wisely kept himself in between her and the door, gently ushering her closer to the Spiritomb whilst muttering soothing reassurances.

And still the Spiritomb was grinning.

"Please, have a seat." Came the eerie voice that only served to freak Aura out even more and she closed her eyes and blanked out her mind's eye so as not to look at the creature. Of all types, Jury had to be a Ghost…

Letting Hallow guide her into a chair, she made a point of scooting back a couple feet, still shivering as if expecting something horrible to happen at any moment.

"A bit nervous, are we?" Jury started with amusement. "Perhaps you have something to hide?"

Aura tried to get her voice to work, but still her words snagged in her throat. It was almost worse hearing this thing's voice without seeing it as it lended her imagination plenty of frightening interpretations. Opening her eyes, she immediately averted them to a small dust bunny on the floor as Hallow spoke up for her, the Abra trying and failing to keep herself calm and composed.

"No, she has a phobia for Ghost-types." The husk informed, his sympathy for his friend clear in his tone.

"Ohmigawd, at least the Drifloon were CUTE!" Aura rambled in the background as Hallow continued on.

"She told me that a Haunter's been abusing her for most of her life."

"You're the freakiest thing I've ever seen!"

"I saved her and managed to rid her fear of my kind. But…" He looked towards the panicked Abra as she continued her exclamations.

"What the _hell_ are you supposed to be anyway?!"

"Why, dear child, we are Spiritomb, of course." He said, giving a friendly smile, although that smile was very easily interpreted by the young Abra as 'I'm-gonna-eat-your-soul'… which didn't help in the slightest and she reacted by covering her ears with a cringe.

"Stop talking to me!" She shrieked, beginning to cry as she turned her glistening eyes to her friend. "Can we _please_ go back home?! This was a _horrible_ idea! I don't even-"

"Shhhh," Hallow shushed softly, facing his companion and leaning close to her to get her focus only on his empty eyes. "It's alright, Aura. Everything's going to be okay," he whispered soothingly to her, knowing how to handle this as it had happened several times in the past. "He's our friend, remember? He's our client, he's not going to hurt you. He looks scary, but he's not going to hurt you. I promise."

Aura sniffled with a hiccup, more tears dripping from her eyes as she tried to remain focused on the Shedinja in front of her.

"Just take a few breaths, calm down, and remain focused on the job. Keep telling yourself that he's not going to hurt you and you will make it through this," he continued to encourage. "He's just gonna ask some questions and that's it, alright? Answer him calmly and then we can leave, okay?"

After a moment, she nodded softly, taking a shaky breath as Hallow pulled away.

"S-sorry…" Aura muttered under her breath, fighting her fear with everything she had and following Hallow's advice to the best of her abilities.

"Apologies aren't necessary, child," Jury told her, earning another cringe at the sound of his voice but at least the Abra wasn't breaking down again. "We'll keep this quick, for your sake. Do you have your Team paperwork?"

"Y… Yes, s-sir…" She gave a small cough, sniffling some more as she reached into Hallow's body, rummaging through the husk before grabbing the desired papers and hesitantly holding them out. She yelped as Jury's ghostly energy took hold of the papers with a black telekinetic haze and he looked through them.

After a few minutes of silence, he finally spoke up, Aura jumping automatically and Hallow floating closer to let her hug him like a plush doll.

"We see you're a very new team, indeed. And of the Rescuer's Guild, at that. A very good start." He began rambling a bit under his breath, although neither Hallow nor Aura could make out what he was saying. "And we see you've wasted no time in assisting Sapling Village and Barty's Bluff. We take it you've done no harm?"

"Only in self-defense," Hallow answered. "We were forced into battle a couple of times, both of which were initiated by the Drifloon. Violence is something we choose as a last resort."

This got a nod from Jury as he returned his attention to their papers, rambling some more to himself before continuing on. "And we see your pasts have been rough." He looked to Aura, not at all bothered in asking a personal question. "Was there any reason your parents left you? Did you do something _criminal_ to earn their discontent?"

"No!" Aura stated defensively, almost forgetting her fear as she shook her head. "I just wasn't developing my psychic abilities fast enough and they just up and left me!" Her fear was making her more sensitive about the subject than usual and she snuggled her face into the hollow shell in her grasp.

"We see," Jury stated calmly, looking over the papers once more before looking back to Aura once again. "We also see nothing else on record for you, child. Perhaps you should step outside whilst we discuss a certain matter with your partner."

Whimpering, Aura pulled her face away, looking at the Shedinja before glancing at the Spiritomb. Giving a shaky nod, she released her companion and headed out the office, making no effort to hide her haste. Watching her leave, Hallow would sigh with relief if he could, knowing that Aura's stress was over for the time being.

"Now," Jury started, looking directly at his fellow Ghost-type with a hard look on his serrated face and Hallow knew what this would be about before anything else was even said. "It shows on the paper that you've murdered your own brother."

"Murder, no," Hallow denied calmly, shaking his body. "Assisted Suicide would be a more accurate term. My brother was suffering, and I had no choice." He would've winced as his memories went back to that day, and he fought through it to continue his explanation. "He wanted to die, and it caused me a great amount of pain to grant his wish. If there was any other alternative, trust me sir, I would've gone with it, but what's done is done and I know he's happier this way."

The Spiritomb said nothing in response, just watching the Shedinja carefully. Hallow wasn't faltered and waited patiently for Jury to reach his own conclusions. After a few moments, the Forbidden Pokemon finally spoke up.

"Very well, we'll choose to believe you. But we'll be keeping tabs on you during your stay in our town and if we hear anything, we'll make sure you pay the price dearly. Are we understood?"

"Of course," Hallow stated, nodding. "Are we done here?"

"Indeed," the Spiritomb answered, returning the papers. "We'll be sure to provide you both with a place to stay, as we anticipate these Tasks to span over the course of several days. We're not too picky on which you and your partner choose to start with, but we do expect at least a few to be done."

"Yes, sir. Thank you." Hallow gave a polite bow before floating out to reunite with Aura, who made no hesitation in throwing herself against him in another hug.

"Can we go home yet?"

But at least the hardest part was done.

* * *

I'm submitting all my chapters at once, seeing how eager I am to share, plus how tired and sleepy I've been lately. Plus, I have a couple other stories in the making, so I might as well get this one out of the way! :)


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, just Aura and Hallow.

* * *

Chapter 1

"I hope we aren't too late," Aura muttered as she and Hallow splashed through the dark tunnels of the well. The only source of light for Aura to see with was Hallow's halo and that only lit a small bubble around them. She pretty much had to rely entirely on her mental scanning. "So far, we haven't found any sign of the poor little guy."

"Perhaps he's…" Hallow trailed off, leaving the sentence open for interpretation and Aura's gloomy mind filled in the blanks in a less than desirable manner.

"I hope not," Aura muttered sadly before cupping her hands around her mouth. "TIMMY! TIMMY, WHERE ARE YOU, LITTLE BUDDY?! TIMMY!"

There wasn't any response, excluding her own echoes. It was certainly not helping her ever decreasing feeling of hope for this rescue and she lowered her ears before pushing on, Hallow following closely. They moved in silence for a few moments, staying alert for any sign of life. There was none so far and it was really starting to get worrying. Maybe they should-

Aura came to a sudden stop. "Hey, what's that?" She took a few steps forward, leaning down and picking up something from the water. Shaking the wetness off as best she could, she scanned over it with her mind, its silver image showing that it looked a lot like a sand-dollar. Stepping closer to Hallow to make use of his light, she opened her eyes for a more detailed examination of the unknown item.

It was a golden coin, glistening in the halo's glow when she rubbed off some of the mud smudging it.

"Whoa, shiny," she muttered. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure," Hallow answered, staring at the coin. "Perhaps we can find out later."

Aura nodded before dropping the coin into Hallow's body. Shaking the water and grime from her paws, she continued on further into the well. "TIMMY!"

It seemed like hours had passed with nothing to show for it and Aura was on the verge of giving up when something else caught her attention. Its image only needed to flash in her mind for a split-second before she screamed and jolted back.

"WHAT IS _THAT_?!" she shouted, the unmistakable shape of a Spiritomb revealing itself upon closer mental examination. "IT'S JURY! HE'S STALKING US! I KNEW HE COULDN'T BE TRUSTED! I KNEW IT!" Hiding behind Hallow, she whimpered as the Shedinja didn't seem at all disturbed, for he wasn't blinded with panic and could sense something she didn't.

"It's not real, Aura." He told her, flying towards the object.

"It… It isn't?" she asked in confusion, only now choosing to scan the thing for its energy signature. It didn't have one. She relaxed with a relieved sigh, calming her racing heart. She felt a stab of guilt for making such accusations of their client, but she knew it was just her fear talking. At least she hoped that would remain the case. "Then what is it?"

"I… don't know…" the Shedinja trailed off as he paused in front of the object, just staring at it. Aura waited for him to do or say something, but he wasn't doing anything. Flicking an ear nervously, she began to pick up soft whimpers coming from the husk.

"Hallow?" she started worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"Jury was right…" the Shedinja muttered mostly to himself, causing the Abra to tilt her head. "I _am_ a murderer…"

"Wha…?" Aura opened her eyes merely to blink in confusion. She took a few steps closer, her ears picking up more whispers from the ghostly insect.

"I could've saved him… could have gotten him help before it all went downhill… and I could've ignored his pleas to die… He could still be alive… and with me…" he muttered. "But I murdered him… I _ate_ him…" A shudder went through him, heavy whimpers escaping from his body. "I'm a monster…"

"Hallow, stop it!" she exclaimed firmly, beginning to get scared at what her friend was saying.

"I can't…" he replied in a dull and lifeless tone. "I can't escape the truth… Skeet's dead… Because of me… I don't deserve to live…"

Finally, it began to make sense to Aura and her eyes widen. "Hallow, get away from that thing!" But the Shedinja didn't move, continuing to mutter his woes and his words getting even darker and more suicidal in nature. Unable to take it, Aura gathered herself and lunged, tackling the insect onto the ground and splashing into the water.

Without wasting any time to even recover fully, the Abra dashed away from the mirror with Hallow still in her grasp until the offending object was out of sight. With that, she released her comrade. He merely hung in the air and made no implication of snapping out of it on his own whatsoever, even as she turned him to face her.

"Hallow?"

The Shedinja said nothing at first before giving a shudder, then a jolt as he finally snapped out of the trance that had taken hold of him. "What…?" He looked about in confused disorientation. "What happened…?" He looked to the little Psychic in front of him, who made no hesitation in speaking out.

"Are you okay, now?"

"Okay…?" Hallow paused, trying in vain to remember what just happened and thinking a bit on how he should answer. "I… I don't know… I feel like a wave of sorrow had just washed over me for some reason… I don't know why, but it's ebbing away now…" He paused as Aura sighed and his confusion grew. "Aura, what happened?"

"Nothing. Just stay close and let's not get distracted with random items anymore…" She said nothing else before walking off, the floating husk hesitating before glancing back the way they came. Attempting to push passed his confusion and lingering sadness, he decided to focus on the mission at hand and hurried after the Abra.

Another thirty minutes went by in silence, neither having anything to say before something alive alerted Aura's mental scanning. Her ears shooting up, she focused on the disturbance in an effort to identify it.

"You sense something?" Hallow asked, Aura nodding distractedly. It was a small Pokemon with a Ground-type energy signature. Feeling her heart race, she didn't even say anything before dashing off towards the source, the Shedinja rushing to keep up. Skidding to a stop, she froze as she focused on a small creature lying motionless in the water.

"Timmy…?"

She hurried over to the Sandshrew, gathering the little guy in her arms and looking for signs of life. Hallow intensified his halo's light for Aura to see and with it, the Abra could make out the pale coloration. Leaning her ear down, she could barely make out any breaths, but it was enough to tell her that he was alive. Though it was obvious he wouldn't last much longer.

"Hang in there, little guy," Aura said, glancing worriedly at Hallow before focusing. All three of the Pokemon flashed white before they disappeared with nothing more than a few ripples. Reappearing outside the well, the Abra sealed her eyes shut from the blazing hot sun, but at least it meant that the little Sandshrew was back in his element. The two Rescuers looked up as Jury's right-hand man, Andy the Golurk, and the mother Sandslash hurried over to them, having waited outside the well for their return.

"My baby!" the Sandslash exclaimed, tears of relief welling up in her eyes as she gathered the child into a hug. It was painful holding the soaked little mouse, but she didn't care as pulled off her scarf and began wiping off her baby.

"M…. Mom… Mommy…?" Timmy muttered weakly, barely able to open his eyes. He was shuddering quite heavily, too weak to even snuggle with his mother as she tried frantically to warm him. Aura hurried over, removing her bandanna and offering it to the mother, who nodded as she took it and wrapped it around the little guy.

"Thank you, child," the Sandslash muttered, a small grateful smile growing on her face. "I'll return it, I promise."

"Keep it, ma'am. I have plenty," The Abra reassured. "Just make sure you tell us later if little Timmy makes a full recovery."

"I will, thank you both so much." The Sandslash gave a bow before hurrying off to the town's hospital. Watching her leave, the two felt a sense of accomplishment, as well as the feeling that the little Ground-type was going to be okay.

* * *

"I said it once and I'll say it again: Manual labor makes me sleepy!" Aura announced as she finished up another brick, allowing Hallow to carry it towards the other bricks as she fell back to lie down in the sand. "Ugh, wake me when we're done!"

"We won't be done if you're sleeping." Hallow pointed out, placing the brick at the very top before glancing around. They had made ten piles, each of which contained about a couple hundred bricks. It was approaching the hottest part of the day, and Aura didn't even know how much longer they could keep it up. Or rather, how long she could keep it up. Last she check, Hallow didn't get dehydrated or overheated… Nor did he have paws to get sore and dirty…

"You two are more than welcome to take a break, y'know." Andy stated as he approached, and his words only needed to register in Aura's mind for a second before she fell right to sleep. And it was fairly obvious that she had no intention of waking up anytime soon. "Or we can settle for what we have now…"

"I'll get my poking stick." Hallow stated before floating off in search of said stick.

* * *

"This is probably the darkest thing I've ever taken part of…" Aura muttered as she looked over the plans for the Gallows. "I don't even believe in the death penalty, so why am I doing this?"

"For the points, and rewards." Hallow answered, earning another sigh from the Abra.

"But is it worth it?" She asked in a genuinely serious voice, looking up at the Shedinja with her ears low. "Taking part in building a torture device?"

"I wouldn't go so far as to call it _that_, as it _can_ provide a quick death under the right circumstances," Hallow stated before going on with his own honest opinion. "It's a method of execution that's going to be built whether you take part in it or not. So it doesn't really matter either way, as your belief on the subject isn't going to change things." He would shrug if he could. "Might as well gain something out of it."

"I…guess…" she muttered uncertainly. "But it still makes me uncomfortable…" She sighed before looking back at the blueprints, forcing herself to ignore her morals to get the job done. Such a thing was making her feel like a Rogue or Merchant or something… "It says we need to 'legally' acquire some special wood…"

She looked back to Hallow and then towards Andy as he approached them for the daily progress report. "I'll be back."

With a white flash, the Abra disappeared to places unknown to the other two. Waiting for a few moments, Andy was about to ask Hallow about their current status when Aura reappeared with a whole bunch of neatly stacked wood, sitting casually at the top of the pile.

"Were these acquired legally?" Andy asked as he scanned the wood.

"Um, yeah…" Aura stated, climbing down from the stack. "I said 'Yoink!' and everything, so it's perfectly legal!"

Hallow and Andy merely exchanged glances.

* * *

Aura didn't say much of anything as they checked into the room Jury was so kind as to reserve for them. She didn't even bother cleaning herself up as the first thing she did was collapse on her bed face-first.

"Ugh!" she grumbled, her voice muffled by her pillow. "Too… much… work… So…friggin'…lazy… Must… sleep… until… next…week!" She whined, her body aching from building those stupid Gallows. This was probably the most work she's ever put in, both mentally and physically. Don't even get her started on her migraine…

Hallow merely floated towards the window, choosing to merely watch the stars as Aura promptly fell asleep. He didn't know what was in store for tomorrow; hopefully their last task will go without a hitch. It would be easy compared to today, drawing out and posting some flyers. Aura's bound to have some artistic fun with it…

Lowering his gaze to the activity below, he saw some rowdy Pokemon making a scene in the streets and whatnot; thankfully not one of these ruffians showed the slightest interest in bothering the lodge. He did catch a glimpse of gold pausing briefly to fly around a drunken brawl, and his instincts felt a rush as he attempted to focus on it. But it was too late and the figure was gone into one of the saloons.

He would've sighed if he could.

Glancing at the Abra for a second, he decided that he could explore his suspicions for the figure's identity tomorrow if the Fates were to smile down upon him and he floated to the other bed. Flopping down unceremoniously, he allowed himself to drift into a sleep-like trance.

* * *

Yeah, I had a lot of Tasks to cover, hence the short nature of the less important missions. But short or not, I still tried to make it fun and entertaining!


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, just Aura and Hallow and the new character formally introduced in this chapter. :D

* * *

Chapter 2

"Pass me the red! Quick! Before my inspiration wears off!" Aura chirped, laying on her belly in one of the few patches of shade, a paper held in front of her as she scribbled all over it. The Shedinja hovering beside her gave her the desired colored pencil and the Abra eagerly colored her flyer, her tongue sticking from the side of her mouth as she concentrated.

Hallow attempted to take a peek, but Aura quickly blocked his prying eyes, not interested in giving him a preview. "Almost done…" She made a few more scribbles and finishing touches before sitting up with a beam. "There! Whaddya think?"

She held it up for her friend to see and Hallow would blink if he could, his voice somewhat concerned. "And the Gallows were the darkest thing you took part in?"

It was a rather morbid picture of some poor schmuck hanging in the Gallow's with his underside eviscerated and spilling guts and blood. She did not skimp on the gory details either. Above it was the words, 'CRIMINALS! Turn over a New Leaf, Or End Up Like This Guy'. There was smaller fine print at the bottom and the Shedinja leaned closer for a better look. It was basically, 'No seriously, Jury's not messin' around D:'.

"I think it gets the point across!" Aura stated cheerfully, unwittingly sending a chill of unease through her companion's shell.

"I… guess it does…" Hallow stated hesitantly, starting to question his companion's mental state at the moment. Aura seemed blissfully unaware of her buddy's reaction and stood up.

"Goodie! I'll make lots of 'em to post up later! Now let's go around and start convincing!" She marched off, Hallow faltered before following as he tried to get that poster's image out of his head…

* * *

"No." Hallow stated without missing a single beat.

"Awww, c'mon dude! We're on a roll here!"

"We had an agreement, Aura," Hallow told her firmly. "We're only doing the Tasks that won't endanger us. And these last two could end in a fight."

"But-"

"No, we're going tell Jury that we're done here and then we're going home." The Shedinja told her, Aura hesitating at the concept of meeting Jury again. And it only served to fuel her resistance as she tried to stall said meeting.

"Well, the curfew one doesn't seem too dangerous! We just go around making sure those saloon places are empty."

"And if they're not?" Hallow pointed out. "We're expected to shoo them out and some may not be sober enough to be cooperative."

"'May' is the key word here, Hallow," Aura argued in a slightly pleading voice. "Not everything's going to end as badly as you think they are. We can't be running away from everything that has even the slightest bit of risk to it."

Hallow said nothing to this and Aura remembered the incident that happened yesterday. "I know why you're always so worried about me, Hallow. I know you blame yourself for losing Skeet and that you're scared you'll lose me like you did him. But you can't let that hold you back all the time," she told him, her ears lowering. "I think I can take care of myself and as a team, I'm sure we can handle it…"

Silence. The Shedinja was obviously still reluctant about this, but Aura's words were striking a rather sensitive chord and she continued softly. "We can only get better at this, buddy. With each new Task, we're learning. We're getting better and we're getting stronger. And risky stuff like this can help us out soooo much with this Rescuer job."

Hallow seemed about to say something when the familiar Andy approached, immediately sensing the atmosphere.

"Is everything alright here?" he asked in his mechanical voice. Spotting an opportunity, Aura dashed to the larger Pokemon's side.

"Plus, Andy's coming along! He'll help protect us!"

"Is this about the last two tasks?" Andy asked and he got a nod from the both of them, the Shedinja speaking out.

"I suppose we can risk doing the curfew one…" He didn't seem too happy about saying that. "But…" Hallow looked towards Aura, who immediately gave him the puppy-dog face. "But I'm still firm on my position on the last Task."

Aura immediately slumped, disappointed that her face of cuteness had no effect, and Andy gave a nod. "Very well, I will inform Jury and we can find another team better suited." He looked down at the little Abra. "You both could take the opportunity to relax, as the curfew would begin at midnight. I expect to see you both ready."

With that, the robot left the two to report to his superior and Aura glanced at Hallow sadly, hoping to break him at the last moment. But the Shedinja made his point perfectly clear as he spoke up firmly.

"Be happy that you got the Curfew Task out of me," he growled. "Don't push it."

"Yes, Daddy…" Aura stated submissively, even the playfulness of the "daddy" part noticeably cowed. Well, at least she can spend her time sleeping in the meantime…

* * *

"Alright, I think we got them all," Aura said, standing by the doorway and scanning the last of the saloons before looking to her companion hovering inside. "Ready to go, Hallow?"

It was a mostly peaceful Task, just as Aura assumed it would be. Most of the Pokemon had abided by the Curfew rule set out and those that did stick around past midnight simply didn't notice the late hour in their fun. This last saloon did have a rowdy Houndoom, but he was too drunk to even land a move on them. It was an odd sight for them both to see the usually menacing Pokemon act so undignified before the demon mutt fell unconscious completely on his own without the Rescuers having to lift a finger and his embarrassed friends ended up having to drag him home.

That was a… rather hilarious memory she was never going to forget for as long as she lived! She was glad she managed to convince Hallow to let them do this one, as it's been rather fun!

However, that was soon to change as she didn't get a response from her friend and she walked over to him. "Hallow?" Aura uttered as she paused beside the Shedinja, seeing that he was staring at a corner. Watching him in confusion, she followed his gaze before she froze. It was a Ninjask, ignoring them completely as he sat quietly by himself drinking from a small glass. Looking about, Aura blinked as she was sure they ushered everyone out and the place was empty just a moment ago! "How did he get in… Nevermind, don't answer that." He _is_ a ninja, after all.

Personally, she didn't truly like meeting up with Ninjask when Hallow's accompanying her. She knew that there's always the chance that the Shedinja would abandon her for the fellow Bug-type, for it was completely within the shed's instincts. The risk seemed especially great as this Ninjask didn't have a brother accompanying him, and thus, might be open for Hallow to adopt.

But just as she was about to approach to warn him to go home for the night, she felt her fur stand on end in pure terror. For around his neck was a simple necklace, with a pendant that couldn't be more familiar and yet couldn't be more out of place.

A Shedinja's halo…

A strangled squeak came from her throat automatically, hoping to Arceus that the thing wasn't real…

"It's real," the Ninjask growled, taking the last sip of his drink before glaring at her from the corner of his eyes. Aura gave a small gulp before opening her mouth to speak, the ninja beating her to the punch. "I know why you approached me. I am not leaving until I'm ready."

"Um…" She blinked before clearing her throat, trying to hide her fear and unease. "You don't really have a choice. Jury wants everyone out of the saloons, so-"

"I don't care what Jury wants," the Ninjask hissed. "And if you and your _friend_," –His glare intensified as he looked towards the Shedinja- "wish to live past tonight, then you would leave my presence now."

Aura froze at this threat, stepping back a bit as she glanced nervously at her companion. Getting her shaky voice to work, she risked one last try to resolve this peacefully. "Please, sir. You really need to-"

She was cut off as the Ninjask flew off his seat, his claws clicking in annoyance as he snarled. "Last warning. Leave. Now."

Aura whimpered as she cringed back, Hallow deciding to finally speak up, his instincts conflicting but his position firm. "We don't wish to get violent here. Just comply with _Jury's_ commands and we can carry on with the night."

Shifting his death glare to the Shedinja, the Ninjask ignored the Abra and hovered over to the other insect. For a long moment, there was nothing except the low humming of the cicada's wings. Hallow forced himself to remain calm, trying not to think about the disembodied halo, which was difficult as the Ninjask hooked his claw onto the pendant and held it up to Hallow's face, never breaking eye-contact.

"Do you wish to hear the story of this?" the Ninjask asked in a dark whisper. Hallow made no response, but he didn't need to as the ninja continued. "My brother, Loren, from Mossy Village-"

"Shikyo?" Hallow interrupted, his soft voice filled with shock. At this, the Ninjask smirked menacingly, obviously proud that the Shedinja recognized his name, and he gave a single nod. Hallow couldn't gather his thoughts for the moment and he moved back just an inch. "You're still alive?"

"Yessss," he hissed. "It takes more than banishment to end my existence." He growled, narrowing his eyes angrily as the memories flashed within his mind. "After my greedy brother's atrocious judgment upon me, I took it upon myself to pay him back."

"Loren is-?"

"Unfortunately, no," Shikyo grunted. "That coward's too well-protected within the boundaries of the village, so I had to choose another target, a close friend of his who made the grave mistake of leaving himself open in a clearing, all alone," –He fiddled with the halo in a rather threatening manner- "This is my trophy from the battle. It wasn't too difficult. Allow me to demonstrate…"

Within a second, the ninja's claws took on a black haze as he lashed out and Hallow barely managed to put up an Endure just in the nick of time. The Night Slash attack still had powerful force behind it, however, and when it made contact, it threw the husk right out the door of the saloon, much to Aura's horror.

"HALLOW!"

She had little time to react as Shikyo zoomed out of the saloon and the Abra just barely gathered her wits enough to follow him, her eyes wide as the Ninjask had the Shedinja pinned to the ground.

"Your kind always had the reputation as being the superior ninja, the superior Pokemon in battle," the living cicada snarled, his heavy weight keeping Hallow from pulling away. "But I learned this move solely to prove everyone wrong, and to put an end to weaklings like you."

He raised his claw for another Night Slash and Hallow instinctively tried to put up another Endure, only for it to dissipitate. Chuckling darkly, Shikyo stabbed down for the killing blow, only for something else to get in the way.

Aura cried out as the Dark-type move sliced through her armored chest, easily drawing blood. But she forced herself pass that pain as she growled and lunged for the bug, knocking him away from Hallow before her own paw took on a black haze. Striking out with a Thief, she was about to make contact with the move before Shikyo pulled away at the last instant.

Glaring down the interfering little Abra, the Ninjask began spinning and looping through the air in a Swords Dance and Aura felt her heart stop. Intent on keeping him from completing the move, she launched a Shadow Ball at him, only for the insect to easily dodge. Trying again and again to stop him, she just couldn't get a hit on him; it was as if he knew where she was aiming her attack before she could even launch it. And she paid the price as the Ninjask disappeared from sight, appearing behind her and slashing her back with a Fury Cutter.

Screaming as she fell forward, she felt more blood ooze from the wound and she felt her heart race even more. This wasn't a normal battle where attacks were largely inhibited and she began to fear for her life. Especially when she felt another slash of pain on her back, and then another and another.

_GET ME OUT OF HERE!_ Her body practically screamed to her mind and she gathered her energy to Teleport, the Ninjask's finishing Night Slash stabbing into the ground where she once was. She of course didn't go far and when she reappeared, she collapsed to the ground, barely able to stay awake. Deciding that she was no longer an issue, Shikyo returned his attention to his real target and his claws began to take on that blackness again.

But Hallow wasn't giving him the chance and his eyes flashed red in Spite. Instantly, the shadowy haze disappeared and the ninja growled as that was the only move that can hit the husk. But there was more than one way to skin a Meowth and he vanished from sight.

The Shedinja braced himself for an attack, his ghostly senses peaked for any disturbance. There was none and he glanced towards the nearly-unconscious Aura. But just as he was about to approach her, he heard the distinct buzzing behind him. He couldn't throw himself out of the way fast enough and the ninja slammed him into the ground, sitting on the husk to keep him pinned once more.

Panic overwhelmed the Shedinja and he tried desperately to pull away, not making any progress whatsoever. In desperation, he took on a purple haze, familiar to anyone who's ever seen him snatch souls. The Ninjask was certainly in a perfect position for such a thing…

But it was a bluff and Shikyo didn't fall for it, his Mind Reader more than enough to tell him that this Shedinja didn't have it in him to hurt him, much less kill him. Smirking smugly, he leaned down over Hallow's shoulder and growled in his ear tauntingly.

"Go ahead," he started. "Take my soul. Kill me. Just like you killed your brother."

Hallow hesitated, the purple haze persisting despite the Shedinja's shock. "H… How did you…?"

"That's not important," the Ninjask hissed. "Just do it."

Again, Hallow hesitated, most everything within him screaming _not_ to do it. But he knew in his rational mind that this Ninjask was going to kill him unless he did something… But could he…? The purple haze disappeared completely, the husk shivering sorrowfully as it did so.

"No, Hallow…" he heard Aura mutter from where she laid. "Fight back…. You have to… fight back…"

Hallow was silent for a few seconds before whimpering. "I… I can't…"

"Pathetic creature," Shikyo mocked contemptuously. "Even in the face of death, you refuse to inflict harm upon me and that shall be your downfall." Purring darkly as he tapped his claw on Hallow's halo, his words came out in a contemplative tone. "Can you tell me what would happen if I were to pull this off prematurely?"

"Don't…" Hallow whispered desperately, never feeling so helpless and torn in his life. His logical mind screamed at him to lash out with a Shadow Claw, but his instincts, his body, his ghostly energy, EVERYTHING refused to let him, no matter how hard he tried to fight it. Such inner turmoil was so strong it actually began to hurt, like a stab where his heart used to be.

He felt the Ninjask hook his claw onto the halo, which flashed in protest but still the Shedinja did nothing to stop him. Then came unbearable pain as Shikyo tried to rip the halo out of place and a shriek echoed through Hallow's body. The crescent flashed even brighter as if to blind the offending Pokemon but it did no good as the harsh tugs were still persisting.

Despite the halo's stubborn resistance, Shikyo managed to make it budge just an inch and to his delight it began to flicker. Hallow also knew what this meant and his ghostly energy tried hard to pull himself free or to at least move this immobile body to struggle properly.

Nothing.

"Stop it!" Aura shouted as best she could, struggling desperately to get up as tears began to pour from her eyes. "Stop hurting him, please! You're going to kill him!"

But the Ninjask wasn't listening to her, so intent was he on this act of dismemberment. And that concentration proved to be their savior as the Ninjask was unaware of a visitor until it grabbed him tightly by his wings and lifted him into the air.

Screeching in pain, the ninja felt his claws pull free of the Shedinja and that halo and he felt the heavy instinct to struggle. But in his precarious position, he knew thrashing about too much could damage his wings beyond repair. Instead, he hissed and glared at the intruding Pokemon to see-

"Andy!" Aura exclaimed happily, her body shaking under the effort of supporting her weight even though she only got as far as her hands and knees.

The robot glared harshly at the insect in his grasp before speaking in a cold voice. "You're under arrest for two counts of Attempted Murder. You have _no_ right to remain silent and _everything_ you say _will_ be used against you in the court of law."

The ninja merely slashed at him in defiance, growling in anger and pain before Andy turned his attention to the fallen Rescuers. "Are you two alright?"

"We're good…" Aura muttered. "Though a quick trip to the Medical facility would be nice."

"I will get Nile or Huckleberry to assist you both there," The robot glanced at the enraged insect still held in his grasp. "We will also hold a court session tomorrow morning, of which both of you will attend to testify." That slight glance turned into a full-on glare as he stared down the Bug-type. "Pray that Jury's in a merciful mood."

Shikyo merely spat in further defiance of the law.

* * *

Oh noes, another near-death situation! Will I ever give poor Aura and Hallow a break? Not while I'm their author!


	4. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, just Aura, Hallow, and Shikyo.

* * *

Epilogue

The blackness of sleep was all that surrounded her for the moment, and she was willing to keep it that way. Usually, she could fall asleep at a whim, as can the rest of her kind. But this time, she had the most difficult time and it had nothing to do with the pain she was still in.

Whimpering as the blackness around her began to fade off into the beginnings of a dream, she found herself completely unable to move as the battle from earlier reenacted itself. But this time, she was completely helpless to do anything. Never could she move when Shikyo had Hallow pinned to the ground. Nor could she move as she watched in terror as the Ninjask tore that halo completely free of its invisible roots. Nor could she move as she watched her only friend slip into the cold embrace of Death.

She tried to call out, to scream, but she was mute in this dream too. A whimper couldn't even escape her throat as Shikyo turned his attention to her and lunged for that final blow…

Aura jolted up with a scream, wincing at her bandaged injuries and at the light shining in her eyes. Shielding them with a paw as she tried to orientate herself, she saw she was in a dark hospital room. A flood of memories came pouring back and she whimpered as she clutched her blanket.

"Hallow?"

"Shhhh, I'm here." Came a soft voice beside her and she turned her attention to the light that nearly blinded her. It was a halo and beneath that was-

Immediately she began to cry with relief, a smile growing on her face as she made no further hesitation in making her joy verbally known. "I-I'm so g-glad you're okay!" The Shedinja gave a gentle nod and she sniffled before she glanced around in confusion. She was sure that the husk was being kept in a separate room. "How did you sneak in here?"

"Ghost-type, ninja, the fact that your door was unlocked. Whichever you choose, that's the answer I'll go with." He told her and she couldn't keep back a small giggle, just staring at the husk with big glistening eyes even as he continued. "Are you alright, Aura?"

"Me?" she squeaked. "What about you?"

"You're the one who's injured."

"And you're the one who almost died!" She sniffled again, her tears resuming their emotional flow. Seeing this, Hallow hesitated before gently reassuring her.

"I'm fine now. Thank you."

Aura wiped at her eyes and nose, hiccupping before raising her arms in a gesture for a hug. The Shedinja made no hesitation in flying over to her, allowing her to snuggle him like a long-lost plushie. And so it was for a few moments before Aura got her shaky voice to work.

"I'm sorry. You were right earlier, about these Tasks being dangerous," she piped. "This was all my fault. If I had only listened to you, then you wouldn't have gotten hurt and-"

"No," Hallow interrupted. "It wasn't your fault. Last I checked, even normal Abra can't see into the future."

"Still, I-" She couldn't even choke out the rest of her words before the Shedinja interrupted again with a firm tone.

"Still, the events that occurred were out of your control. Don't blame yourself on Fate's behalf." He felt her face snuggle tighter against him and he wished he had the mobility to pat her head and back soothingly. "And _you_ were right with what you told me. I can't let what happened to Skeet hold me back from doing our job. I promise to no longer be a hindrance to our team."

"You're not a hindrance." Aura muttered. "You're just trying to look out for me."

"Even so, I suppose I can back off a little bit, allow you some freedom," He would smile if he could. "How about after the trial, we go help Andy with that final Task? If you're feeling up to it."

Aura looked at him in surprise before her tail began to wag. "For realsies?"

"For realsies."

She tightened her hug on him, wincing a bit at the sharp pain that erupted as a result, but happy nonetheless. "Thanks, buddy. Although I think we should still skip out, given the circumstances."

"Agreed."

* * *

"YOU'RE AS FREAKY AS YOU WERE THE _LAST_ TIME WE MET!"

Here we go again. Even in the formal setting of the courtroom, Aura still couldn't keep back her phobia of the Spiritomb looming over them from the judge's podium. Even when all eyes were upon her, she didn't care as she cowered in her seat, her paws clutching her head and her tail wrapping around her protectively.

"It's alright," Hallow whispered. "Remember what I said before? Just do it again, okay?"

"I dunno if I can…" Aura muttered back softly, peeking towards the ghost and her fur bristling at the sight. "STOP LOOKING AT ME!" she shrieked, head desking unceremoniously as she continued clutching at the fur on her head. "For cripe's sake, I THINK I'D RATHER DEAL WITH _HIM_ INSTEAD," –she gestured vaguely in the direction of the restrained Ninjask.- "AND HE WAS THE ONE WHO TRIED TO KILL US!"

"Ms. Aura, we do require that you behave yourself." Jury stated firmly, but not unkindly.

"STOP TALKING!" And there, she seemed to have fainted, for she fell silent as her face remained plastered to the desk. Hallow nudged her and didn't get a response, and he gave a mental sigh. He found it kind of sad that this was actually a typical occurrence…

"Well, that's one way to quiet down…" Jury muttered softly before rambling to himself again. However he cut off his muttering conversation with himself to carry on with the trial. "Andy, read the charges."

"Shikyo the Ninjask stands before the courtroom accused of two counts of Attempted Murder." Andy started before looking to Jury as he added. "He's also confessed to First-Degree Murder as well, Your Honor, of which I recorded and further evidence can be seen dangling from his neck."

"Indeed," Jury hissed, staring at the disembodied halo before looking the accused right in the eye. "How do you plead, Ninjask?"

For a long moment, Shikyo simply glared back at the Spiritomb, tugging a bit on the Ariados webbing bound around his arms and wings before giving a malicious smirk. "Guilty."

Jury was a bit surprised as most Pokemon wouldn't have admitted to such crimes so easily, even in the face of overwhelming odds. But it was obvious that the ninja was proud of what he did, and it became even more apparent as Shikyo offered a contemptuous laugh.

"As if _you're_ any better than I, Spiritomb."

"What're you talking about, insect?" Jury growled, the green orbs surrounding him spinning faster.

"108 souls, I believe. 108 minds respond to my own," Shikyo hissed. "Each of you bound together to that stone as punishment for your crimes." Another contemptuous laugh came from his throat. "Crimes much more heinous than my own. If that is not the greatest act of hypocrisy…"

Silence as the two glared at each other before Jury spoke calmly despite his anger at being called out. "But at least, we're willing to repent and we have changed our ways. You are not willing to do either. _That's_ the difference between we and you."

The Ninjask merely scoffed dismissively before continuing in regards of his current situation. "Truth be told, the Abra is of no importance to me; she just got in my way, and she had what was coming to her," he growled. "It's the Shedinja I wanted to end." He huffed with a shake of his head. "And it's pathetic how you all think that shell is actually worth this. It's not even alive."

"What?!" Aura couldn't help but pipe up in a spark of anger, apparently fully conscious as she looked up from the table to glare at him. "How could you say something like that?! Of course, he's alive! He thinks and he feels just like you, just like me, just like everyone else!"

Shikyo merely gave her a glance before elaborating, staring Hallow straight in the eyes as he spoke. "It's just an inanimate object, completely devoid of life. And the soul within is already dead or never _has_ been alive in the first place," He hissed. "It has no rights. It's just property. It was shed from Ninjask and it belongs to Ninjask. And thus, Ninjask such as myself can do with it as we please."

"Is that how you really see me, see my kind?" Hallow whispered sadly. "We devote our very existence to you, in protecting you and treating you as equals… And you treat me like dirt."

"Did my brother treat me as an equal?" Shikyo snarled, his eyes sharpening their glare. "Did he protect me from those Rescuers? From getting banished? No. He _sent_ them to take me out; he was the one who banished me! And he _never_ treated me equally." He gave a sharp tilt of his head. "Does THAT sound like devotion to you?!"

"Perhaps if you had only changed your attitude, then such actions wouldn't have been made against you," Hallow told him. "And although Loren did those things to you, it doesn't change the fact that he still loves you."

Shikyo only gave a huff, blatantly brushing off the Shedinja's words. Silence hung in the courtroom as Jury contemplated the proper punishment, rambling on with himself once again.

Eventually reaching a consensus, he picked up his gavel within his ghostly energy. "Mr. Shikyo, as punishment for your crimes, we hereby sentence you to death by the Gallows." He grinned almost giddily. "And you will serve as the first example to any other criminal who dares enter our town. Court is dismissed."

He was about to give the finishing knock when Aura couldn't help but speak out in terror.

"Wait, you're going to kill him?!" she started before shaking her head. "No, I object to that!"

"Overruled," Jury chirped in response, his grin never dying. But the Abra only continued to shake her head.

"Nah-uh!" she said. "There's no reason to kill him! I don't want him dead, and neither does Hallow! And we were the victims! So if we don't want it, why do it?!"

"Naïve child," Jury chided. "We kill him now to keep him from committing future crimes and thus protecting the citizens."

"Then just keep him locked up or something!" Aura continued to object. "He can't be a threat to anyone if he's in prison!"

"A rather cruel fate to bestow upon a creature like a Ninjask," Jury replied calmly. "There's some things in life worse than death, and when it comes to Pokemon like him, confinement is one of them. Now we suggest you calm down and take a seat, before we turn this into a case of Insubordination."

Aura faltered a bit at the threat and forced herself to back off. Sitting back in her spot, she can only give a whimper as Jury spoke up.

"The sentencing shall begin at midday sharp. We expect the town to be there to witness it. You're all dismissed and Andy," He turned to the robot in question. "Keep that insect locked up in the meanwhile."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

It was a somber time indeed as Aura and Hallow stood among the crowd, gathered around one of the Gallows they built earlier. At the head of the crowd was Jury, and on the Gallows itself was Andy and Shikyo, the latter with the noose already set around his neck. The Ninjask didn't seem bothered by any of this, just calmly looking up at the sky.

"Let this all be an example to everyone," Jury barked, his menacing grin growing as if in delight of the current events. "If anyone takes even a miniscule step out of line, this is the fate you can look forward to." He looked towards the Ninjask, growling under his breath as he spoke. "Any last words, bug?"

Shikyo merely glanced down at them before turning his attention back to the sky, his voice calm. "I regret nothing." He didn't seem interested in saying more, closing his eyes as he awaited his end with dignity.

Jury turned his gaze to the Golurk and gave a silent nod. Andy nodded back and he had no second thoughts as he pulled the lever. At once, the platform dropped from under Shikyo and the cicada fell, his wings trying instinctively to flap, but rendered useless by his bonds. Unfortunately, the exoskeleton of his neck did not break and he knew instantly that his death will be a slow one. Although he's fully accepted his fate, his body immediately began to struggle desperately, trying unsuccessfully to wriggle loose or to at least get a breath.

Aura couldn't get herself to watch, burying her face into Hallow as he hovered silently beside her. The Shedinja didn't want to watch either, but couldn't look away. Unlike Aura, he wasn't so fervent against the death penalty and he was pretty indifferent to it in general, as to be expected from a predatory Pokemon like him. But this was a Ninjask…

Shikyo didn't know how much longer he could last. His lungs felt like they were going to explode and he could do little about it. Already he had fallen limp, reserving his oxygen in vain as his mind began growing black with the beginnings of unconsciousness. He was about to welcome it when he felt something odd. It was as if his body had grown lighter. Was this Death?

No, he noticed that his body had gotten support, yet he felt nothing actually holding him. But he did feel the results as the noose's strain on his neck eased and air was finally allowed to flow into him. He resisted the instinct to gasp for breath and instead slowly took in small wisps, enough to keep him conscious and inconspicuous enough to not raise suspicion.

He didn't understand why this was happening but he was questioning nothing, especially when he felt the web restraining his arms and wings begin to loosen. Biding his time, he awaited the perfect opportunity.

Looser…

Looser…

Finally, he tore his claw free of his restraints and in a flash, he lashed out at the noose and he sliced the rope easily. Falling the rest of the way to the ground, what little air he had was forced back out and he coughed and gasped for breath, shakily pulling the loosened web from his wings.

At once, the guards lunged for him, the Pokemon piling onto him and wrestling amongst each other to get the Ninjask restrained. But when one of the guards pulled free with the supposed prisoner, he blinked when he found that he was just holding a small log. Everyone casting their confused eyes around, it became obvious that the Ninjask was long gone…

* * *

Aura couldn't bring herself to give a proper goodbye to the town of Gambitville. Jury was in a very foul mood for having lost a criminal and whilst she thought Ghost-types were terrifying, an _angry_ Ghost-type was fear beyond comprehension. It's best to just give the departing message to Andy and leave as soon as possible.

Hallow hasn't said a word as he followed Aura, and the Abra couldn't exactly think of a way to break the silence herself. On one hand, she knew both of them were relieved that the Ninjask escaped death. On the other hand, that meant a murderer with a vendetta was now on the loose…

They both silently wondered if they did the right thing…

"Has your Teleport energy restored itself yet?" Hallow muttered softly after several hours had passed.

"If it has, I would've used it a long time ago, trust me…" Aura muttered back, growing exhausted from the building heat. "At least we're almost out of the deser-" Her ears practically shot up on her head as she cut herself off mid-sentence, automatically amplifying her mental scanning.

"What is it…?" Hallow's concerned voice whispered.

Aura didn't answer, focusing on identifying the source of her disturbance and once she did, she felt her heart stop and her fur bristle. She couldn't get her voice to work for a minute and when it did, it was a strangled squeak. "He's back…"

And no sooner had she said that before the low buzzing was heard and the Ninjask appeared in front of them, blocking their path home. Aura cringed in fear, casting her eyes around for an escape route so they could-

"You cannot run from me, Abra, so do not waste your time in trying." The ninja barked, glaring at the little Psychic before Hallow placed himself protectively between them.

"Please, we don't wish for another fight…" the Shedinja muttered, hoping to appease the other insect.

"I have no desire to fight," Shikyo replied, surprising them both.

"Then-" Aura began, only for the Ninjask to interrupt her in an unexpectedly soft voice.

"You both saved my life."

Blinking, Aura exchanged glances with Hallow before clearing her throat. "We… don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't try to deceive me," Shikyo warned, his red eyes narrowing as his claws twitched restlessly. This got the two nervous, but thankfully, the cicada showed no interest in attacking them. "You two eased my suffocation and loosened my bonds. Why?"

Silence hung in the air for a few moments before Aura spoke up, fiddling with her paws. "I… I meant what I said during the trial. I don't support the death penalty and I couldn't bear to watch you suffer anymore…"

Getting that answer, Shikyo shifted his attention to Hallow, his demeanor growing with suspicion. "I try to kill you and you repay me by sparing my life. Out of the two of you, you had less of a reason to interfere with my execution."

At this, the Shedinja merely gazed back into his eyes evenly before responding in the best and only way he could. "Is it not the purpose of my kind to protect yours?" He saw the Ninjask stiffen with a growl and he submissively dimmed his halo. "You may deny it, but it's still the truth. You have inflicted great harm upon me, but I cannot change the nature of my species."

"A naïve nature and a naïve choice," Shikyo responded without missing a beat, looking back and forth between the two. "I could kill you both right now and continue along my way with a new trophy and a good meal," –Aura visibly cringed at being referred to as dinner- "but I do have some sense of honor. You two gave me my life, so in return I shall give you yours."

The Ninjask backed up a bit, beginning to turn.

"Wait!" Aura couldn't help but pipe up, a thought occurring in her mind. The Ninjask hesitating to glare at her over his shoulder, the Abra reached into Hallow's body before slowly taking a few steps towards the Bug-type. "Here." She held out a small object that glinted in the sun.

Narrowing his eyes, the ninja turned back to face her, watching her suspiciously before looking to the offering. It was a coin…

"What is this?" he grunted.

"A souvenir we got from the wells. We were going to keep it as a reminder of our adventure here," She gave a glance to Hallow before looking back to Shikyo. "But if anyone needs to remember this, it's you."

Shikyo only frowned at her for a while before slowly flying closer. Both Aura and Hallow stiffened, neither feeling comfortable with this short distance between them and this murderer. But such feelings were shoved aside as the Ninjask took the coin in his claws, -nobody noticing the extremely brief white glow that emanated from it as the transaction was made-, and the ninja examined the thing before glaring at the other Pokemon.

No further word was spoken and Shikyo vanished from sight, his buzzing wings growing fainter as he flew off. Aura blinked, but gave a sigh of relief as she slumped. Looking at Hallow, she smiled faintly.

"That went surprisingly well…" she muttered.

"Yes," Hallow agreed, staring off in the direction his living counterpart flew before turning back to Aura. "As did our mission. I'll admit, I expected us both to be far worse off than we are. Especially you."

"Hey!" Aura objected, the Shedinja quickly adding more.

"And I'll also admit, you took being with Andy on a near constant basis surprisingly well too. I'm proud of you, Aura." With that, the Shedinja nudged his muzzle against her in a nuzzle before continuing along their path, Aura hurrying to catch up and looking at her friend in confusion.

"Whaddya mean?" she questioned, tilting her head. After all, Andy was a pretty nice and reasonable guy that just radiated a sense of security that would make anyone feel safe. Plus, he saved them both from an inevitable demise. Why would she feel uncomfortable around him?

She wasn't left in the dark too long before Hallow answered with a tone that suggested he would be smiling. "Andy's a Ghost-type."

Aura froze in her tracks, eyes wide and mouth agape. Even the wind seemed to stop at the news. Looking back at the Abra, Hallow waited patiently in silence for Aura's mind to fully soak it in. And when it did, only one thing could be said:

"FOR REALSIES?!"

* * *

The end! I have BIG plans for Shikyo, unfortunately I'm still unable to fully implement them. Just waiting for the right opportunity... Anyway, I hoped you guys liked this story and will review! *hugs*

P.S. I LOOOOOVE that classic log-decoy-ninja-technique! I had to include it here! :D


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